NO CHILDHOOD IS “PERFECT”, NO CHILDHOOD IS THE SAME

In my own personal experience, the stressors I encountered during my young childhood remain troublesome regarding my state of mind. Stressors like WAR between my mom and dad led me -a three year old, afraid of fun and laughter. I feared separation of my mom and I feared my dad’s voice. POVERTY taught me, as a child, to never take anything for granted because the little things that I did have I admired and held on to since I did not often get anything growing up. It was my imagination that gave me everything when I closed my eyes. VIOLENCE raged in my childhood. My dad was an angry man and I didn’t know why. His violence showed through his hands and his actions. I learned not to speak and I learned hard lessons by the whip of a belt. At 5 years old, I did not know any better. I did not know leaving my toys in the hallway was bad or took what I thought was interesting even though it wasn’t mine. By my dad’s violence, I was isolated to my room for hours or days -forgotten. I then learned to isolate myself from even my best friend. The stressors I experienced as a child seemed like a domino effect toppling over one another. Even though my childhood is behind me, I still fear and my emotions today are like tripped wires. But… these stressors have not destroyed me because I found my own identity.

Around the world, there are children who have or are currently struggling with relative stressors as I have experienced or they are experiencing stressors I could not imagine. Every day children are falling victim to stressors that create such a great impact on who they are, how they live, how they grow, and how their childhood evolves. Not as children, but as human beings the overall effect of such stressors effects the body emotionally, physically, and even psychologically as I have experienced.

WAR

In countries like Libya, today war is currently in conflict with militias competing for ultimate power and territory. Because of this competition children are emotionally, physically, and psychologically affected by loss, change, exploitation, and exposure to hazards and weapons. Children are fearful caught between the need for survival and death. Libya’s population consists of 2 million children which is 1/3 of its population. For that many children, war is putting children at a higher risk of emotional, physical, and psychological damage in the long run (UNICEF, 2011)

  

POVERTY

Malawi, located in southeastern Africa is considered on the poorest countries. Due to the lack of government assistance and illegal activities to name a few children are affected by the downfall of their own community. Lacking essential resources and adequate living conditions the need for growth and learning is simply not provided. This dissipates future ambition and heightens low self-esteem. Poverty meaning no food, no medical, and no educational outlets effects children emotionally and psychologically (ex. www.savethechildren.org, n.d.).

 

VIOLENCE

In countries like the United States, an estimated three million children are abused (ChildHelp, n.d.). This is alarming. Children who are physically and emotionally abused are prone to become withdrawn as adults or become aggressive as their aggressors were to them. Children often experience fear and severe anxiety as well as difficulty forming relationships and building trust. Abused children or children who have witnessed violence create self-image of helplessness or worthlessness as I have.

  

ISOLATION

There are many styles of isolation. Isolated by another person or isolating one’s self emotionally and socially can be temporary or chronic. Children in Libya who are experiencing war, children in Malawi who have little to nothing to survive on, and in the United States where children are abused or witness violence can become isolated emotionally, physically, and psychologically. To avoid stressors on any level or in any aspect children use isolation to survive -to hide.

                      

LAST THOUGHTS

Despite the world’s diversity, cultural differences, or what goes on on one side of the world than the other stressors are unavoidable in childhood. Every child experiences one traumatic event at some point. It may be temporary or it may have a lasting impact emotionally, physically, or psychologically.

War for me was war between my parents. Children in Libya are experiencing greater wars. I had water and food and education as I got older but children in Malawi have little. This breaks my heart. And children in the United States (and in other parts of the world) are victims of all kinds of abuse and witnesses to violence such as domestic. For me, I was one of them but I was able to rebuild myself and find who I was. Some children are less fortunate.

Works cited

Child Abuse Statistics & Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from ChildHelp: http://www.childhelp.org

Malawi. (n.d.). Retrieved from Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from Domestic Violence Roundtable: http://www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org

The Poorest Countries in the World. (n.d.). Retrieved from World Atlas: http://www.worldatlas.com

Tidey, C. (2011, July 12). Libya's other crisis: 2 million children at physical and emotional risk as conflict drags on. Retrieved from UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org